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One of the largest
water investment programmes in the UK
 One of the
largest water investment programmes in the UK ; with inflation-only price
increases for customers, action on the environment and on sewage smells, and
a better deal for businesses has been welcomed by Enterprise Minister and
local Constituency MSP Allan Wilson
"The objectives set for Scottish Water will deliver the maximum affordable
investment in support of housing and economic growth in the North Coast"
said Mr Wilson.
"North Ayrshire Council, together with other local authorities and
developers were concerned that a lack of available finance for Scottish
Water to invest in new infrastructure would curtail future development but
this announcement should help dispel these fears."
"Up to £200m a year for the next four years will be made available to
Scottish Water to invest in new treatment plant necessary to relieve new
development constraints and safeguard the environment by improving water
quality in some 500km of rivers, lochs and coastal waters" said Mr Wilson.
"This new investment will enable Scottish water to build on last year's best
ever results for beaches along the Ayrshire Coast and supplement the
improvement in water quality at Largs that will be brought about by the
proposed £10m investment in wastewater treatment for the town" said Mr
Wilson.
"It will also help protect public health by improving drinking water quality
for local people, and remove over 1,140 properties from the risk of internal
sewer flooding" said Mr Wilson
""We are delivering one of the biggest programmes of improvements anywhere
in the UK while maintaining stable charges to Scottish Water's customers.
Additionally we will ensure affordability by introducing a new 25% discount
on water charges for households of two or more adults that are receiving
Council Tax Benefit."
"As Scottish Water becomes more efficient we are seeing the benefits of a
rigorously regulated, publicly owned water industry, operating in the
customers' interest. In so doing we have been clear that this programme must
be delivered without the need to increase average charges by more than the
expected rate of inflation during 2006-10." said Mr Wilson.
"The Scottish Executive and myself when Environment Minister consulted
widely with the business community, including locally in Largs and Millport,
to improve service levels and address development needs and determine the
investment needed to improve public health and environmental protection
standards, and .this extra investment and improved charging scheme will help
address local development constraints and protect charge payers from above
inflation increases for the duration pf the new charging period " concluded
Mr Wilson.
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